


QMS 12 2

by Deacon_Heller



Series: Quantum Mirror Series [18]
Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26937061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deacon_Heller/pseuds/Deacon_Heller
Summary: While SG10 supervises a team of scientists studying the Ancient science ship the gate mysteriously ceases to function, but they quickly realize that being stranded is not their only problem.
Series: Quantum Mirror Series [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965412





	QMS 12 2

Once each of the scientists were at work Ford fingered the control on the left arm of the chair. The forward window of the ship's canopy instantly darkened. No longer could he see the desert in front of the ship, but instead it showed him a camera vantage from the engine room. 

Ford watched as the short sweaty man began attaching his computer to the main console of the engineering room. Ford pressed the button, and the screen switched to another room with where Hess was laying the generators out in a row and connecting them together. He went through each of the rooms in the ship. 

Unlike the last derelict ship Ten found, this one didn't have an angry Lovecraft monster stalking the dark halls looking to eat them all. Ford glanced over at Colt, sitting behind the keyboard of the navigation station. Colt sat reading the ships logs. 

Natock spent the watch walking the ship, and rechecking everything again and again before went outside and walked the perimeter of the ship. Next he spread out and walked from dune to dune around the ship, scanning the desert to the horizon. The Jaffa had difficulty standing still and waiting. 

Ford found the discovery of the ship both exciting, and relieving. He could spend most of his time watching everyone through the ships camera system and nothing was trying to kill him. He was very happy to be the team that discovered the ship. He hoped it would be enough to earn back Jac-bot, at least. 

Ford's team currently had the highest mortality rate of any SG team. There were no more volunteers for his team, and General Willis wasn't assigning him any replacements. Ford suspected he was on the verge of losing his command. 

As the hours of silence drifted by Ford nodded off in the chair with his head on his hand. 

"Hey," Colt called out.

Ford's chin slipped from his hand. "Yeah, what...what did you do?" Ford asked, as he stood up.

"I didn't do anything, dick, I finished reading the ships logs," Colt snapped.

"What do they say?" Ford asked, as he walked over and looked at the computer screen Colt was reading. 

"This was a science vessel with four different labs. Two of them were chemistry labs, but only one of them was unlocked. That one was studying the effects of 'Genetic Optimization'."

"You can read all that?" Ford asked pointing to the screen. 

"Yeah, it's in Eng..." Colt stopped when he looked back at the screen on his computer. He realized it was Ancient and that he had been reading it for hours like it was in English. "That's weird." Colt shook his head. "So they were experimenting on their DNA."

"Meaning what?"

"They were trying to tighten up their genetics by targeting their immune systems to resist all kinds of disease, speed up their healing. It was also meant to improving intelligence and memory. Stuff like that."

"Let's go take a look."

"I already did," Colt said. "The platform seems to be operational, and I glanced at the logs. They had about fifty test subjects over the course of the twenty two year experiment."

"Anything happen?"

"They started seeing good results towards the end of the study, but it got stopped abruptly. Everyone was recalled back to another outpost, but it doesn't say why anywhere."

"They never came back?"

"Doesn't look like it."

"What's in the other labs?"

"I can't get into those files. They're like super, double, triple secret."

"Can't crack the encryption, can you?"

"No," Colt growled. 

"Keep at it."

"Yup," Colt said, as he turned back to the screen. 

Ford stretched and left the bridge. He walked the ship and spoke with each of the scientists, one by one, to get updates on their progress. Then he returned to the bridge to check on Colt. "Tell me something good."

"We can send it home, but we're not going along for the ride." Colt said, to Ford. "I ran the numbers three times, and with only eight of the fifteen generators I asked for all I can power is the engines. Essentially, it would just be on autopilot. At this power level the ship will fly at one thirtieth its minimum speed."

"How long will it take to get to Earth?"

"Surprisingly, not long," Colt said, as he stood up and stretched. "This world is pretty close to Earth, relatively speaking. If nothing happens to it on the way, it should get home in about six years."

"That's a long time to wait for Christmas. They're not going to be happy."

"Then tell them to cough up six more generators."

"Alright, I'll tell Alpha," Ford said, as he started walking away.

"You want me to dial from here?" Colt asked. 

"No, I'm bored, I need to go for a walk." 

"Ask them how long they want us to sit here and study it before we send it back. Then tell them to send through some more food. The food producers work, but whatever that goop they spit out is, it tastes like crap." 

"The food's crap, got it," Ford said.

"Ask for some pizza."

"Got it."

"Don't let them give you MRE's. Hold out for pizza!" Colt shouted. "I would kill for a slice."

Ford stood at the DHD in the brilliant sun. He dialed Alpha, but the gate just made a weird noise and failed to lock. "The hell?" Ford dialed again, and again, and again. When it was clear that Alpha base wouldn't lock Ford tried Earth. It wouldn't lock either. He tried the Beta Base, the Gama site, and three more addresses of safe worlds. Nothing would engage. Ford knelt down and pulled the panel cover from the base of the DHD. He checked the crystals, but they were all in place and working.

"Seriously?" Ford growled. He began taking each crystal out and cleaning it before slipping it back into place. "You work for a million years and you take a crap now?"

Ford tried Alpha again, but nothing happened. "Colt," Ford said tapping his ear piece, "We got a problem."

"Tell me it's not another organism!" 

"It's not another organism, the gate stopped working."

"What do you mean stopped working?"

"What part of that don't you understand?" Ford growled. I dialed the gate, but the addresses won't lock. Not Alpha, not Beta, not Earth. I've tried every address I know and the gate won't lock on any of them."

"You try taking the crystals out and cleaning them off? This is a dusty..."

"I tried that! It doesn't work."

"Shit."

"Yeah," Ford agreed. "Try dialing from the ship."

"Hang on," Colt said.

The gate lit up chevron by chevron, but didn't lock.

"Anything?" Colt asked.

"No, but now I know it's not the DHD," Ford said. "I'm coming back," Ford tapped his ear piece and started back towards the ship. "Damn it. Now I want pizza!" He mumbled. 

"Ok, we have a problem," Ford began an hour later. He stood on the bridge of the ship with Colt and Natock beside him as he spoke to the group of scientists in front of him. "The gate won't lock on any address, so we're stuck here for the time being."

"How long will that be?" Hess asked.

"At least...ten more minutes," Colt blurted out. "We don't know. That's what he's saying."

"How will we survive?" Dr. Amano, the Ancient technology specialist from Japan asked. 

"The situation really isn't that bad. The ship has more than enough power, and it also has food and water stores. We can survive here for a long time," Ford assured them. "All things considered, this is as good as it gets for being stranded."

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with the gate?" Dr. Bovet, the weapons specialist from Italy asked. "Maybe we can fix it."

"I've got a sinking suspicion that it's something with the programming of the gate itself. I checked the DHD and it looks fine. Colt tried dialing from the ship, and the problem was the same."

"Can we inspect it?" Bovet asked.

"Yes, please," Ford nodded. "Everyone take a look and see if you can fix it. Dr. Amano, you may have the best chance."

He nodded back at Ford. "Do we know if this is a Goa'uld attack against us?"

"Well, in this universe, I guess anything is possible," Ford conceded. "In the mean time, we're going to ration our food and water, but like I said this ship has quite a bit, so it won't become an emergency for a while." 

"You seem very calm," Bovet said to Colt.

"Yeah, I'm not worried," Colt said.

"The gate may be broken, forever, and you're not worried?" Bovet demanded.

"Nope, not even a little," Colt said, with a smile. "We've got like two hundred Carters scattered across the galaxy. There has to be at least one of them working on this right now. I bet the gate's up and running by nightfall."

"Ok, he makes a good point," Ford conceded. Natock nodded. "We'll check the gate every six hours until it starts working again, but until it does everyone just go back to your work. This ship has crew quarters, I'll go check those now and let everyone know the sleeping arrangements shortly."

Five days passed and the gate remained unwilling to lock. After the first day Ford put Colt to the task of calculating the possibility of flying the ship back to Earth. He spent hour after hour using the ships computer to run various different scenarios, each one getting the ship to Earth a little bit sooner, but it was just a matter of shaving three to five years off of five thousand. 

While Colt waited for the computer to produce its calculations he spent time reading all of the ships logs. Once he finished those he returned to the machine and read the records of the experiment. It went long enough to collect a vast amount of data points on each participant and there were several graphs charting their progress. The increase was very slow, but it gave Colt an idea of what to expect. 

He began stepping back into the machine to chart himself the first night they became stranded. He was curious if he'd made himself better, or if he was going to turn into a mutant. He tracked himself day by day, but the computer always told him there were insufficient data points to graph an real progress. 

Colt reread the last entries for each of the participants and took note of their developments. Their immune systems were effectively enhanced, and tested by exposing the subjects to existing curable diseases. Each subject resisted infection without the need for medical intervention. "Cool," Colt mumbled. 

There were other tests, including deliberate injuries to test the improved healing of the advanced immune systems, and each subject displayed varying levels accelerated healing. Colt was amazed that the subject showing the most improved healing actually grew back a severed finger tip. "He started going starfish, neat!"

Some of the less drastic results were; improved memory, increased physical efficiency, rising intelligence, and improved sense of sight and hearing. The scientist running the experiment speculated at the possibility of a much longer life span based on the results each participant was showing. He was cautiously optimistic that he had in fact doubled their life spans, and created the possibility their off spring would continue to evolve naturally with each generation in an upward curve. The last entry that the lead scientist made after he was ordered to abandon the project gave Colt an ominous feeling. 

"I am crushed that I must abandon this experiment, which has yielded astounding results, but I understand what is at stake. I only hope that we can overcome the threat that we now face so that I might be able to return to my work and improve the lives of our race. I take solace in the fact that each of the participants will continue to improve, but I must not overlook the unforeseen effects of the experiment."

"Wait, what?" Colt stuttered. "What effects?"

"Any experiment dealing with the brain and drastically increasing intelligence will risk unforeseen consequences. Though most of participants have displayed positive effects, some may even be manifesting telekinesis, there have been a few that concern me. We have always suspected that higher intelligence is correlated with higher levels of aggression and sociopathic tendencies, and I fear that I may have proved our suspicions correct. Even in the face of this threat, I am obligated to continue observing these specific participants in the hopes that they do not become a danger to themselves or others."

"Great, I'm going to turn into Khan!" Colt growled as he sat back. 

On the sixth day Ford decided it was time to tell everyone that the ship wasn't going to be the way home. "Ok people, it's like this...we're stuck here."

"The ship can't take us home?" Amano asked.

"We don't have enough power. The Naquadah generators just don't give us the power to reach the speeds we would need to get back to Earth before we would all die of old age, wither away into dust, get recycled through the life support filters, and finally jettisoned into space."

"How long will it take the ship to get back to Earth?" Bovet asked. 

"It's a matter of numbers," Colt said. "If we take the ship we'll need to run the life support, and the shields, and the engines, and other systems. Everything that takes power away from the engines adds centuries to the flight. The only way this ship gets back to Earth in our life time is if there is no one on it."

"Do you plan to send this ship home and leave us all here to die?" Bovet demanded.

"No," Ford growled. "At the moment we don't know if there is an Earth to send it back to. Until the gate becomes operational again this ship is what is keeping us alive."

"We got a Gilligan's Island situation," Colt said. "We can live here indefinitely, but we're not going anywhere."

"Gilligan's Island?" Higgs, the engine specialist from England, asked. "How can you be so flippant about a life and death situation?"

"Maters of great concern should be treated lightly, and matters of small concern should be treated seriously," Colt shrugged. 

"Did you seriously just quote Hagakure?" Ford asked Colt, wide eyed.

"Besides, we've got five professors, and no Gilligan's," Colt smiled. "We'll be fine."

"That's a good point," Gerta said. "Well Sergeant, I'm sure you'll take great care of us."

"We will," Ford nodded, to the elderly scientist. "I suggest you all continue in your work and keep busy as best you can. That will make it easier for you."

"I wish to see his calculations," Bovet demanded, as he stood in front of Ford. 

"Colt, show him your math," Ford told him. 

"This way Doctor," Colt waved Bovet over to the navigation station he'd been running scenarios through. Colt activated the floating hologram screens over the station and keyed up the simulations. Then he stood up to let Bovet sit down and examine them. For the next week Bovet hovered over the station crunching the numbers, rerunning the simulations. He was convinced that there was something that Colt was obscuring. 

On the eighth day Ford stepped onto the bridge in the middle of Bovet and Colt arguing. 

"I don't know what you're doing, but you're...Sergeant Ford!" Bovet called out to Ford. 

Ford had seen the argument and instantly turned around the leave, but Bovet had seen him, and there was no escaping. Ford stopped and shrugged. He looked at the doors, but Bovet would just follow him out into the hall. He had before. 

"Sergeant, you must order Colt to present the correct numbers for his simulations," Bovet demanded.

"I did," Colt ground between his clenched teeth. 

"There you go," Ford pointed his hand at Colt. "He already did."

"He's obfuscating the situation!" Bovet insisted. 

"He showed you his math, you've been running your own simulations, what more do you want?"

"I want the truth."

"Doctor, you already have the truth." Ford sighed. "Look, you're frustrated. I understand. We all are, but you..."

"No!" Bovet snapped. 

"I'm out," Colt growled, as he walked past Bovet and Ford off the bridge. 

"The United States will not steal this technology from the rest of the world!" Bovet threatened Ford quietly. 

"We're not trying to," Ford assured Bovet. Ford rolled his eyes and walked off the bridge.

Ford walked out of the ships' side hatch into the sun just as a stone the size of bowling ball dropped just beside him. He instinctively jumped to the side and aimed his rifle over head at the top of the ship. Colt stood on top of the ship kicking rocks off. 

"I'm sure that's going to help!" Ford shouted, trying to decide if he should fire.

"I'm sick of this planet. I'm sick of Bovet, and I'm sick of that shit they call food!" Colt growled as he kicked another stone off the ship. "We don't have enough power to get off this shit hole of a planet!"

"I know!" Ford snapped. "Are you going to come down, or should I just fire?"

"I just need to kick things," Colt said, as he kicked another large stone from the ship, and began limping.

"Well stop doing it right over the door!" Ford yelled. 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Colt screamed as he kicked another stone.

"Do it on the other side of the ship."

Natock emerged from the ship, looked at Ford, and then up at Colt as he limped badly on the top of the ship. "Is he injured?"

"I think he's cracking," Ford growled.

"His mind or his foot?"

"Well definitely his foot. I heard a bone crack on that last kick. No, I think his mind is cracking."

"That could be a serious problem."

"Ya think?" Ford nodded at Natock. "He likes to blow shit up for fun on a good day. I'm really not looking forward to finding out what he does on a bad day." 

Colt limped around the ship the following day speaking with each of the scientists about their specialties. First he spent a day with Higgs examining the engines and discussing the Ancient technology. By the end of the day Colt's understanding of the technology was close to Higgs.

The next day Colt visited with Hess, and discussed the Naquadah generators. Despite his disdain for Hess's slow methodical nature, Colt was still avoiding the bridge because Bovet wouldn't leave it. The following day Colt spent outside limping over the dunes with Natock, trying to learn as much Goa'uld as he could. Natock was surprised that Colt picked it up quickly.

Tired of the sand and heat, Colt gave in and sat on the bridge with Gerta learning about the shields. Colt was relieved to see that Bovet had taken to simply ignoring him. The next day was less uncomfortable as Colt sat with Dr. Amano and learned more about the Ancient weapons systems. 

With nothing left to explore Colt urged Ford to let him lift the ship and shake the sand from it so they could be sure the ship would still fly. "We need to do it eventually." Colt insisted. 

"You just want to do it because you're bored."

"Still, that's no reason not to."

"Fine," Ford said, standing beside the command chair. He pressed the ship intercom. "This is Sergeant Ford, we are going to lift the ship up and shift the debris off today. Everyone secure your research and report in when you are ready."

Half an hour later Gerta told Ford she was ready and strapped in. 

"Ok, she was the last one. Let's do this!" Colt grinned, as he engaged the navigation systems. The engines spun up and the ship began to hum. "OK, in 3...2...1! Boop!" Colt said as he pushed the ignition. 

"Wait a sec-ahhh!" Ford said, from behind Colt.

Colt pulled back on the stick and the ship lifted slowly from the ground. Ford staggered to reach the command chair. When the ship was twenty feet in the air, Colt jerked the stick hard to his left, until the ship was at a ninety degree angle to the ground. He held it there for a few seconds before he leveled the ship out and drifted it slowly towards the gate. 

"You suck." Ford growled, at Colt as he tilted his head back, pinching his nose closed. A streak of blood ran down the front of his uniform. 

"He did say to strap in," Natock said, looking around the side of the copilot chair he was strapped into.

"You both suck," Ford growled.

"Ok, setting down...now," Colt announced. The ship lurched hard as it dropped to the ground. Ford fell to the deck. "Alright, we're on the ground and we're next to the gate. Anyone that wants to, can get out and stretch their legs."

"You suck, so hard!" Ford slapped Colt in the back of the head. "Run diagnostics."

"Running them now," Colt grinned. "Don't bleed on the controls."

"I'm going to check the exterior," Ford said as he stomped off the bridge.

Colt turned and snickered at Natock. The Jaffa flashing him a mischievous grin. 

Later that night everyone sat around a round table in the center of the mess hall choking down the red protein paste that the ships food dispensers squeezed out. Colt tried to tell himself it tasted like thick tomato soup, but it didn't. Colt swallowed the paste and tried to ignore Dr. Bovet, but he wouldn't stop arguing. 

"Flying back with the ship just isn't an option." Colt insisted, for the third time. 

"Here we go." Bovet snapped. "He just wants us all of so he can slip back onto the ship and then hide it under Cheyenne Mountain. Then the United States will tell the rest of the world it never made it back."

"I showed you the math. I showed you the simulations. This isn't about keeping the ship from your country. This is about power. We don't, have, enough," Colt argued. "Besides, why would we keep it from your country? America and Italy are allies. You're no threat to us, you're like the nation state equivalent of a kangaroo."

"And what about the rest of you?" Ford asked, the other scientists. 

"None of us are as fluent in Ancient as Colt, but based on what I've seen his numbers check out. We just don't have enough generators to sustain engines and life support." Higgs answered. 

"Ok. We do it Colt's way." Ford said, as he stood up from the table.

"No. No. We don't have to do it his way. He said that there isn't enough power for life support and engines at maximum speed. If we slow the slow the speed of the ship we can free up enough power for the life support," Bovet insisted. 

"We could, but we won't." Ford countered. "Earth needs this ship back as fast as possible. We're at war, and this could hold something that may tip the balance in our favor."

"And this ship already going to be moving at one thirtieth its minimal speed at full power," Colt snapped. "I mine as well be pushing this thing home!"

"So it takes a little longer, so what?" Bovet snapped back. "It's worth the extra time for study."

"At best speed this ship won't reach earth for at least six years. If you take away from what little power there is then it might take decades." Higgs sighed in frustration. 

"That's not acceptable." Ford said. "This ship needs to get to Earth as fast as possible. Period. End of discussion." 

"I can't believe you're just going to let them steal this from me. From us." Bovet shouted at them. He stared at the others, but no one would take his side. Finally he snarled and left the room, stomping away. 

"Can I Zat him?" Colt asked Ford quietly.

"Might come to that." Ford muttered, as he watched Bovet storm off. 

Ford watched the sun set from the top of the ship. Colt climbed up and sat down beside him. 

"How are we?" Ford asked. 

"We're good to go. I checked the systems three times and they all say the Hayes is seaworthy."

"The Hayes?"

"Don't act like you didn't see that coming." 

Natock came up behind them and sat down. "They are all secure in their quarters."

"Tucked in tight," Ford muttered. "Good." He laid back and looked up at the stars. Colt and Natock did the same. "Did you ever do this?" Ford asked Natock. "Do the Jaffa ever just look at them?"

"No with Tau'ri eyes," Natock said. "When you look at the stars you see a limitless universe to explore, one full of wonder and possibility. When a Jaffa looks up at the night sky he sees only stars surrounded by worlds filled with Jaffa they must one day murder for the glory of their god."

"That's rough," Colt said.

"All my life I have seen the stars with the eyes of a Jaffa, but I fight so that someday our children with see them with the eyes of the Tau'ri. Eyes that are not dimmed by the knowledge of endless war, but eyes that shine with hope."

"We'll get there together, brother," Ford said, as he reached out and put his hand on Natock's shoulder. Colt did the same.

The morning sky grew lighter and lighter as the three men slept on the top of the ship. The sound of the gate awoke Ford. He sat up and looked down the at the gate. He tapped his ear piece.

"This is Alpha Base calling Sergeant Ford, please respond."

"This is Ford, we're here," He answered, as he shoved Colt and Natock awake. 

"Sergeant Ford, report," General Willis's voice came over the radio.

"Sir, we're all present and accounted for."

"I'm glad to hear it Sergeant. How is the ship?"

"Intact and online, Sir, what happened to the gate? I know it wasn't Colt, because he was here with me," Ford growled. 

"It was one of the scientists in the SGC, Felger, he scrambled the dialing system and the correlative update program spread the problem across the entire galaxy, but Dr. Carter fixed it."

"Told you so," Colt mumbled, as he slapped Ford on the arm. 

"Everyone on Earth is very excited about your discovery. When can you send it?" Willis asked. 

"The Hayes is ready to lift off right now Sir," Colt grinned at Ford.

"The Hayes? I guess I should have seen that coming," Willis said. 

"We've just been waiting to find out if there was someplace left to send it to," Ford said. 

"Send it home Sergeant."

"Yes, Sir," Ford said, tapping his earpiece.

Half an hour later Ford and everyone else stood beside the gate as Colt took his chest unit off and opened it up. He typed for few seconds before he held it up to Ford. "You want to do the honors?"

"I don't know what the command is."

"Just press 'Enter'."

"Right," Ford said, as he reached out and pressed the key.

The ships engines ignited and spun up until the ship lifted off the ground and began moving towards the sky. 

"Ok people, let's g..." Ford stopped, as he looked around.

"What is it?"

"Where's what's his face? Dr. Bovet."

"Oh, son of a..." Colt said urgently.

"Everyone spread out and look for Bovet!" Ford ordered. After a few seconds it was clear that the scientist was gone.

Ford sighed as he watched the ship leave orbit. "He got what he wanted."

"He'll have years to study the ship." Higgs said.

"No he won't." Colt said.

"Why not?" Ford asked. "He's got food and water."

"I couldn't take the chance someone else might board the ship between here and Earth." Colt said. "I powered all the systems down, and locked them up tight. The only thing functioning is the engines."

"So..." Ford asked.

"Yeah, he'll be dead in less than a week." Colt sighed. 

"Wait, why?" Amano asked. 

"He thinks he can just reconfigure the power distribution and slow the ship down, but he can't." Colt said. "He doesn't understand the control systems well enough to hack his way around what I did to keep them secure. He doesn't have enough time with life support turned off." 

"There's nothing we can do now." Ford growled. "Let's go."

Ford waived the science team into the gate. Natock followed them through, leaving Colt and Ford looking at the sky where the ship had vanished. They scowled at each other and then Colt stepped through the gate. Ford looked back up at the sky once more, and then followed Colt.


End file.
